Which is the best desiccant for shipping containers?

A practical guide to choosing the right moisture protection for your cargo, based on container set-up, cargo type, and real-world shipping conditions.

Moisture damage remains one of the most persistent challenges in global container shipping. Whether you’re responsible for electronics, food products, machinery, or textiles, uncontrolled humidity can lead to corrosion, mold growth, packaging collapse, and even complete cargo rejection. All of which can cost time, money, resources, and customer goodwill.

Choosing the right desiccant for your shipments is critical. However, your optimal solution depends on many factors: cargo type, journey duration, container configuration, climate conditions, and more.

Absortech offers a comprehensive range of container desiccants, each carefully designed for distinct use cases and shipping scenarios.

This guide helps logistics, quality, and procurement professionals navigate Absortech’s desiccant options, indicating the best fit for specific container shipments.

Explore our detailed comparisons to discover which desiccant solution best meets your needs. And of course, don’t hesitate to talk to one of our experts directly. We can help you make the right choice—and always tailored to your exact needs.

How to choose the right desiccant for your container shipment

Choosing the right desiccant depends on multiple factors. To ensure optimal cargo protection and the best, most cost-efficient use of resources, consider the following key criteria:

1. Container loading and configuration

The type of container and how it’s loaded significantly influence which desiccant format is most appropriate. Full but well loaded dry containers typically allow for good air circulation, making hanging desiccants an effective choice.

In contrast, unevenly stacked cargo or cargo placed tightly against the walls, even in partially filled containers, may limit airflow or space for vertical placement. In these cases, flat sheets or compact hanging formats are better suited to ensure moisture is absorbed efficiently within the available space.

2. Cargo sensitivity

Different cargo types vary in their vulnerability to moisture. A great many, including electronics, precision and heavy machinery, and agricultural products, are particularly sensitive to humidity and condensation during transit. These shipments often benefit from gel-based desiccant solutions, which provide effective protection while locking in absorbed moisture to prevent any leakage.

3. Cost efficiency and practical considerations

Moisture protection performance must be balanced with cost efficiency, ease of installation, handling, and disposal. Selecting a desiccant that meets absorption requirements while minimizing handling complexity or overall shipment cost contributes significantly to operational efficiency. Additionally, choosing higher-capacity desiccants may reduce the total number required, simplifying logistics and reducing labor costs.

By carefully evaluating these critical factors—cargo configuration, sensitivity of goods, and operational efficiency—companies can confidently select the right desiccant solution to protect their shipments from moisture-related damage.

Absortech desiccant product overview

Absortech provides a range of specialized desiccants tailored specifically for containerized cargo. Each desiccant type offers unique advantages and is optimized for specific scenarios based on cargo configuration, moisture risk, and container conditions.

Absorption capacity in context: How to use these figures when choosing a desiccant

Before exploring each option, it’s important to clarify the term absorption capacity, which refers to the total volume of moisture a desiccant can capture. These capacities are typically reported based on standardized climate-chamber testing conditions designed to provide a consistent benchmark for product comparison.

The normal testing conditions used are:

• Duration: 30 days
• Relative Humidity (RH): 90%
• Temperature: 30 °C
• Airflow: Controlled to ensure uniform exposure
• Moisture exposure: No external cargo materials present (e.g., wood, cardboard, or hygroscopic loads)

These values reflect the maximum potential absorption under ideal conditions. However, it’s important to note that real-world performance can vary, depending on actual humidity levels during transit, cargo loading density, packaging materials, and ventilation within the container. As mentioned above, it’s also important to note that absorption capacity isn’t the only relevant metric when selecting a desiccant.

Overview of desiccant types and standard use cases

Below is a detailed comparison and description of Absortech’s desiccants, structured to support decision-making. The absorption capacity listed in brackets for each product represents the total amount of moisture it can absorb under these standardized climate-chamber conditions.

Key Terms to Know

• Liquid-based desiccants: Use calcium chloride to absorb moisture and collect it as liquid in a secure collector.
• Gel-based desiccants: Use calcium chloride combined with starch to turn moisture into a gel, preventing leakage. Suitable for flexible placement and sensitive goods.
• Vertical installation desiccants: Installed hanging from container lashing rings. Suitable for general use when there is enough airflow.
• Horizontal installation desiccants: Placed flat over the cargo. Offer broad surface exposure for more efficient absorption, especially in tightly packed containers.

Container Desiccants

• Absorpole (~2.0 liters)

Absorpole is a liquid-based desiccant specifically designed for hanging vertically on container walls from the lashing rings. Its design encourages effective air circulation, enabling efficient moisture collection into a secure reservoir. Absorpole is ideal for standard dry cargo containers.

• AbsorGel Hanging (~3 liters)

AbsorGel Hanging is a gel-based desiccant designed as a versatile hanging option for standard container shipments. It provides higher absorption capacity than Absorpole and uses gel technology that securely binds moisture within the product, reducing leakage risk. This format is ideal when users prefer gel over liquid-based options, while allowing easy vertical installation along container walls.

• AbsorGel Max (~4.5 liters)

AbsorGel Max utilizes gel-based moisture absorption technology, providing high-capacity protection ideal for shipments traveling through high-humidity regions or for containers that may remain stationary in ports for extended periods. Its gel formulation effectively retains moisture securely within the product, significantly reducing the risk of leakage or spills even under demanding conditions.

• AbsorGel Compact (~2.2 liters)

A smaller version of AbsorGel Max, AbsorGel Compact is a slim-profile, gel-based hanging desiccant tailored for containers with tightly packed cargo. Its compact design allows installation in narrow gaps between cargo and container ceiling, providing effective moisture absorption without interfering with cargo space.

• AbsorGel Blanket (~6 liters)

AbsorGel Blanket offers high-capacity moisture absorption across a wide surface area. It is well-suited for large, palletized shipments or bulk cargo and performs especially well in high-risk humidity environments where broad, consistent absorption is required.

• AbsorGel Sheet (~4.5 liters for the 1.5 kg)

AbsorGel Sheet is a compact, gel-based desiccant designed for versatile placement. While smaller than the AbsorGel Blanket, it delivers effective horizontal moisture control and is flexible enough to be used even inside boxes.

In-box desiccants

In-box desiccants are generally recommended when the moisture originates from the goods themselves—for example, textiles, leather, or other hygroscopic materials that release moisture inside cartons or polybags. These pouches are placed inside individual packages to protect contents at the unit level, especially in cases where localized moisture control is more critical than container-wide protection.

• AbsorGel Pouch (varies by size)

AbsorGel Pouch is a gel-based in-box desiccant designed to protect packaged goods. Placed inside cartons or polybags, it provides localized protection at the unit level, and is sometimes used alongside container desiccants.

• AbsorTerra (varies by size)

AbsorTerra is a range of clay-based desiccant pouches—from 2 grams to 66 grams in size. Bio-based, plastic-free and complying with the DIN 55473 standard, the pouches and the naturally occurring desiccant inside can be safely disposed of as household waste.

Summary of Absortech desiccant products

Evaluating cost efficiency and environmental performance

Choosing the right desiccant is not just about effective moisture protection—it also plays a role in operational efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Absortech products are engineered for high absorption capacity per gram, meaning fewer units are typically needed per container. This results in a lower total cost per shipment and a reduction in materials used.

High-capacity desiccants such as AbsorGel® Blanket can significantly reduce the number of units required, streamlining installation, lowering labor costs, and simplifying logistics. Their efficiency also helps minimize packaging waste—supporting companies that prioritize lower material use and smarter resource management.

Absortech solutions can contribute to meeting environmental goals by reducing the amount of plastic and packaging materials used compared to conventional alternatives. This, in turn, could help lower the overall carbon footprint of each shipment—an increasingly important metric in environmentally responsible logistics.

All Absortech desiccants are REACH-compliant, in accordance with EU regulation (EC) 1907/2006. The calcium chloride used in Absortech products is registered with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Selecting the right desiccant for your cargo

The following matrix provides general guidance on selecting Absortech desiccants based on typical cargo needs and logistical requirements. Actual recommendations may vary significantly depending on specific shipment conditions, route, container loading, and cargo type. For precise guidance, always consult Absortech experts who base their recommendations on extensive real-world experience and data-driven testing.

Expert support and next steps

Not sure which desiccant is the right fit for your cargo or container set-up? That’s exactly what we’re here for.

Our team at Absortech works closely with logistics, procurement, and quality professionals to define the right protection strategy—based not just on theory, but on measured performance, field testing, and decades of shipping insight.

Whether you’re moving sensitive goods, optimizing cost efficiency, or dealing with complex moisture risks, we’re happy to help.

What we offer:

• Tailored product recommendations
• Practical testing support
• Full moisture risk audits

We’ll help you make the right choice—with data to back it up.